What do you think?
Rate this book
Tom Gates: Pesky Pets and Parties
256 pages, Hardcover
Published October 9, 2025
2 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
Liz Pichon
183 books577 followersL. Pichon says that when she was little, she loved to draw, and her mom said she was very good at making a mess (this is still true today). She kept drawing, went to art school, became a designer and art director at Jive Records, and began to publish children’s books. After its publication in the U.K., The Brilliant World of Tom Gates won several prestigious awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize, and the Blue Peter Book Award. L. Pichon lives in Brighton, England, with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 24, 2025
Tom is in a band called Dogzombies at school. They are supposed to do band practice, but they played and talked about new costumes instead.
Tom's parents are going to a dinner, and they brought Tom as his sister has to go out and cannot babysit Tom.
The dinner is not fun as Tom doesn't like food that he cannot recognise. The parents were enlisted to join a fun run this coming weekend.
Tom is supposed to go to a party. But the dog ate part of the invitation.
The bully in school, Buster Jones, said he wants to help out the band by providing materials for the new costumes.
Tom also needs to learn how to whistle.
When Tom attended Leory's party while his parents went to the fun run. He turned up with blue paint on his face as he thought it was a dress-up party. It is not.
He was also getting the date wrong. He was one week early.
He ended up playing with Leory's sister Nancy. His sister plays with Tom and teaches him how to whistle.
Buster Jones got a white tablecloth and gave it to Tom to make capes for the band.
Tom gave it to his grandny, and four capes came back, all with dog ears.
Tom doddles on the back of his cap, and it looks nice.
The teacher told the class that the school supply is missing one large tablecloth. Now Tom knows where Buster got the materials for the capes. What should he do? Can he not tell the teacher? And this is a hustle, as Buster told Tom he would tell the teacher if he didn't do him a favour.
Marcus, who is not in the band, can whistle. He was temporarily added as a band member to stand in place of Tom, who still cannot whistle.
On the day of the performance, Marcus ate a wafer too quickly and started coughing. The teacher leads him off stage.
The moment for Tom to whistle. And... he did it.
Tom has a way to deal with Buster, and it is usually a good ending.
4.5 stars read.
Tom's parents are going to a dinner, and they brought Tom as his sister has to go out and cannot babysit Tom.
The dinner is not fun as Tom doesn't like food that he cannot recognise. The parents were enlisted to join a fun run this coming weekend.
Tom is supposed to go to a party. But the dog ate part of the invitation.
The bully in school, Buster Jones, said he wants to help out the band by providing materials for the new costumes.
Tom also needs to learn how to whistle.
When Tom attended Leory's party while his parents went to the fun run. He turned up with blue paint on his face as he thought it was a dress-up party. It is not.
He was also getting the date wrong. He was one week early.
He ended up playing with Leory's sister Nancy. His sister plays with Tom and teaches him how to whistle.
Buster Jones got a white tablecloth and gave it to Tom to make capes for the band.
Tom gave it to his grandny, and four capes came back, all with dog ears.
Tom doddles on the back of his cap, and it looks nice.
The teacher told the class that the school supply is missing one large tablecloth. Now Tom knows where Buster got the materials for the capes. What should he do? Can he not tell the teacher? And this is a hustle, as Buster told Tom he would tell the teacher if he didn't do him a favour.
Marcus, who is not in the band, can whistle. He was temporarily added as a band member to stand in place of Tom, who still cannot whistle.
On the day of the performance, Marcus ate a wafer too quickly and started coughing. The teacher leads him off stage.
The moment for Tom to whistle. And... he did it.
Tom has a way to deal with Buster, and it is usually a good ending.
4.5 stars read.
January 1, 2026
I really enjoyed the book, everything about Tom is so funny especially the blue face and the dolphin. Hope everybody else enjoys it as much as me!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews